Life-saving apparatus.



A. STANDAU, SR. LIFE SAVING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED 00T. 29, 1914.

1,12%751. Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mnmmmmmmmmmmmmmmumm Ummmmmmmnjummmmnn GIXi/Imaoow i A. STANDAU, S'R. LIFE SAVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29, 1914.

Patented Feb. 23,1915.

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ALBERT STANDAU, SR., 0F TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

LIFE-SAVING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

'v Applicaton'led October 29, 1914. Serial No. 869,271.

T0 all w/wm 'it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT STANDAU, Sr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and State of indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Saving Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full. clear, and exact description of the inventionfsuch as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. r

My invention relates broadly to improvements in life saving apparatus and more particularly to the combination with a ship, of oneormore life boats carried thereby and located in dry docks on the ship.

The main objectV of the invention is to provide extremely simple and highly7` eilicient means whereby the life boats may be automatically floated in case the ship should sink.

Yet another object is to provide an improved form of sleepers, for retaining the life boats in proper position within their various dry docks.

Another object is to space the life boats A from the inner walls of the docks to form air shafts, and to provide windows opening from said shafts into the hull of the ship. A still further object resides in the provision of a plurality of decks within the life boats, said decks alining witlr those within the hull of the ship, and alined doors opening from the decks in the ship onto the decks of the life boat. ll'ith the above and minor objects in view, the' invention consists of certain novel features of constructiox'i and combination here-4 in described and claimed and shown in the drawings wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of a ship constructed and equipped in accordance with my invention; FigQisa side elevationthereol; Fi 3 is a detail horizontal section taken substantially upon the line of Fig. 2; Fig. l is a longitudinal section through the lide boat proper as seen on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken ou the line 5 5 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a sectional perspective view of a portion of one side of the ship showing more particularly, the construction of one vof the dry docks.

Tnv the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this 1 p'plication, a ship S is shown which includes the usual hull H, main deck D forming the top of the hull, and other` decks D beneath the deck D. At suitable intervals, the edges of the decks and the upper edge of the hull are notched andstructure is inserted whereby to form rectangular dry docks 1 which, due to their construction, open through the deck D and through the sides ot' the hull. A

Each of the docks 1 includes an upright inner wall 2, a solid bottom 3, a pair of solid upright end walls -l and triangular side walls 5 which merely extend 'from the upper edges ot' the end walls 1 to points spaced inwardly from said end walls; As here shown, the walls 5 are continuations of the sides of the hull H and are provided with openings 6 which are normally closed by.

hinged slnice gates 7, the latter being provided with appropriate catches 8 which may be readily tripped to allow said gates te swing inwardly as shown. Located adjacent the free upright edges of the walls 5 and spaced inwardly therefrom, are downwardly and inwardly extending bars or sleepers 9; a pair being provided at each end of the dry dock, and said pairs converging downwardly in respect to each other.

Inserted in the dry docks 1 is a plurality of lifeboats 10, each of which is here shown as being rectangular in cross section, as provided with a Hat bottom 11, a closed top 12 having a pair of entrance doors 13, and a plurality of decks 14 located beneath the top 12 and disposed one opposite each deck D', said decks 14- as well as the decks D being 'above the wa,ter level of the ship. The

opposite ends of the life boats 10, converge downwardly and contact with the inner sides of thel sleepers 9, while cleats 15 are secured to said ends and contact with the inner edges of said sleepers, for preventing lateral shifting of the boats.

By reference more particularly to Figs. 1 and 5, it will be seen that the inner walls of the life boats 10 are spaced considerable distances from the walls 2 of the dry docks, thereby forming air shafts into which port holes or windows 16 open from the decks D. The wall 2 is fn-ther provided with one or more doors 17 above each of the decks D', said doors alining with similar doors 18 in the inner side walls of the life boats. By

A this construction, passengers may pass onto the various decks of the life boats from corresponding decks of the ship by simply opening the doors 17 and 18, it being understood that entrance is made from the deck D into the life boats, through the doors 13 in the tops 12, the latter lying flush with said deck as shown.

Formed in the bottom of each life boat, are openings from which a pair of tubes 19 rise, said tubes projecting through the lowermost deck 14:. Revolubly mounted above the tubes 19, are crank operated drums around which the upper ends of chains or cables 21 are wound, said cables depending through the tubes and being connected to a longitudinal keel 22 which is T-shape in cross sectionl and which is normally retained in raised position between a pair of rigid keels 23 which depend from the bottom 11 as seen in Fig. 5. In rough weather, however, the keel 22 may be lowered, in which'position it is held against excessive shifting by exible elements 24 which are secured to the top of said keel and to the bottom of the life boat. In addition to the keels 23, other rigid keels 25 depend from the lower corners of the life boats, and each of said boats is preferably equippedv with a pair of rudders 26, one of which is shown in Fig. 4. These rudders are continuations of the keels 23 and aredesigned to be folded into overlapping engagement when the life boats are in position within the dry docks. If desired, motor propulsion may be employed in each of the life boats, or they may be.

equipped with oars. I't has been found, however, that wireless signals soon bring aid to the spots at which the disasters occur and it is therefore advisablev to provide no propelling means for the life boats but to allow them to drift in the vicinity of the accident.

v The sides of the life boats are provided with a plurality of port holes or windows 30, for obvious reasons, and railings 31 are secured to the upper corners of the boats, said railings alining with similar structures R on the hull but being out of contact therewith in order that the hull may sink without sinking the life boats.

With the parts constructed as above described, let us assume that the hull H is Copies of this patent may be obtained for injured to an extent so great that sinking is unavoidable. The various doors 13, 17 and 18 are now opened', and the passen gers enter the various life boats, after which the sluice gates 7 are opened, thereby allowing water to enter the various dry docks asv the hull goes down, this water now floating said boats while theship continues to sink. If extremely rough weather or a mean, choppy sea should now be encountered, the keels 22 may be lowered, thereby. preventing the and a deck thereon, of a dockA opening.

through said deck and through one side of 'the hull, downwardly converging sleepers in the opposite ends of said dock, a life boat in said dock, and inclined cleats on the ends of said boat and contacting with said sleepers.

2. The combination with the hull of a ship and adeck thereon, of a dock opening through said deck and through one side of the hull, downwardly converging sleepers in the opposite ends of said dock, and a life boat in the dock and having downwardly converging ends resting on said sleepers.

a The Combination with the hun of a ship and a deck thereon, of a dock opening through said deck and through one side of the hull, downwardly converging sleepers in the opposite ends of said dock, a life boat in the dock and having downwardly lconverging ends resting on said sleepers, and cleats secured to said ends and contacting with the edges of said sleepers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' ALBERT'STANDAU; Witnesses CARL A. Manna CHARLES J. ScHoMERUs.

veicents each, by addressing the Commissioner off/Eaten, i

Washington, 1D. 0. 

